KUALA LUMPUR: The amended National Land Code would allow underground plots of land to be evaluated and sold separately without affecting the ownership of the land above it.
Natural Resources and Environment Minister Datuk Seri Dr Wan Junaidi Tuanku Jaafar said this will have an impact on infrastructure projects where there were previously issues with land acquisition for underground development.
The amended Section 92D of the National Land Code provides application for independent use or alienation of underground land below alienated land.
A case in point is the Klang Valley Mass Rapid Transit Project (KVMRT) which involved land acquisition process for underground tunnels. To date, a court case is still pending between MRT Corp and the lot owners of the Ampang Park shopping complex.
The latter had objected to land acquisition which would see the demolition of the iconic building.
MRT Corp had planned an underground walkway connecting the new MRT station there to the Ampang Park Light Rail Transit (LRT) station.
Other amendments tabled in the Dewan Rakyat today include an increase in the maximum fine under Section 425 for unlawful occupation of state land, reserved land or mining land from RM10,000 to RM500,000.
Meanwhile, the proposed amendment for Section 427, which specifies unlawful grazing of animals, saw an increase in the maximum fine from RM100 to RM1,000.
On a different matter, Wan Junaidi said some 500ha land of the Forest Research Institute Malaysia (FRIM) have been identified as potential candidates for the UNESCO World Heritage Site listing.
Junaidi also tabled the Strata Titles Act 1985 to overcome problems faced by high-rise residential unit owners in applying for strata titles, particularly for old buildings.